Saturday at Rosehill promises to be a thrilling day of Group 1 and World Pool action, with the spotlight on the prestigious Group 1 Tancred Stakes, one of Australia’s premier staying races. This year’s edition is shaping up to be one of the most competitive yet, with both international and domestic contenders vying for a share of the $1.5 million prize pool. A talented field of 14 high-class stayers has been declared for the 2400m contest, making it a race you won’t want to miss.
Leading the charge is Dubai Honour, a seasoned traveller who demonstrated his class with wins in both the Ranvet and Queen Elizabeth Stakes during his 2023 Australian campaign. Trained by William Haggas, whose Australian Group 1 strike rate hovers around 40%, Dubai Honour is proven on wet tracks and has a stellar record in top-tier races across both hemispheres.
Also in the mix is Vauban, a former import now trained locally by the legendary Waterhouse and Bott stable. Twice a beaten favourite in the Melbourne Cup, Vauban made an impressive Australian debut for his new stable two weeks ago at Rosehill, storming from the rear to capture the Sky High Stakes over 2000m. A confirmed wet tracker, he is set to relish the step up to 2400m, particularly with a potentially faster tempo in this year’s edition.
The Tancred Stakes field is further bolstered by a host of top contenders, including the in-form Arapaho, who won the race two years ago and is back at near career-best levels, last year’s Group 1 Caulfield Cup winner Duke De Sessa, former French galloper Zarir, the defending Group 1 Sydney Cup champion Circle of Fire, Metropolitan winner Land Legend, New Zealand’s Avondale Cup victor Asterix, last year’s G1 Queensland Derby winner Warmonger, and a host of other domestic and international stars. With such a quality lineup, this year’s Tancred Stakes is shaping up to be one of the deepest in memory. SKY Racing’s Kiersten Duke and form expert Brad Gray provide an insightful preview of this race.
